Tapping device.



No. 831,224. PATBNTED SEPT. 18, 1905. c. HAMMER.

TAPPING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JULYQ. 1904.

CONRAD HAMMER, OF BUFFALO, NFA/V YORK.

TAPPING speeieation of Lettersraeent.

DEVICE.

Patented Sept. 18, 1906.

Application filed July 9.1904. Serial No. 215,898.

1o all whom tm/ay concern:

Be it known that l, CONRAD HAMMER, a itizen of the United States, residing at Bufalo, in the county of Erie and State of New fork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tapping Devices, of which he following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved yapping device for beer barrels or kegs or the ike which can be very quickly and con- Teniently attached to or detached from the )ushing of the: barrel or keg by a compara- ;ively short turning movement or slight par- ;ial rotation of the entire device, so that the attachment or detachment will not entangle )r wind the hose connected to the vent-tube around the tapping device.` This is accomolished by providing the lower end of the tapping device with two oppositely-extending lugs and forming the bushing with two opposite vertical grooves through which the lugs are inserted and two inclined grooves in which said lugs are moved by partial rotation of thetapping device to lock the tapping device to the bushing.

The invention also relates to the forming of an annular socket at the lower end of the tapping device in which an annular packing of rubber or the like is seated and which is adapted to engagewith an interior shoulder of the bushing. The advantage of this construction is that the tapping device is brought into tight connection with the bushing by simply inserting the lower end`therein and giving it a very slight turn, thereby dispensing with any additional tightening mechanism.

The invention also relates to certain details of construction, all of which will be fully and clearly hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved devicewith a .fragment of a keg or barrel, showing the tapping device with its end inserted in the bushing in dotted lines and turned to lock it in position in full lines. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section on line a a, Fig. l, through the tapping device, bushing, and a fragment of a keg or barrel. Fig. 3 is a detached vertical central section through the bushing. Fig. 4 is a detached top lan view of the bushing. Figs. 5 and 6 are lragments of the lower end of the tapping device to show the opposed locking-lugs. Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the fragment shown in Figs. 5 and 6 with the annular packing omitted. il

In referring to the drawings in detail like numerals designate like parts.

A metal bushing l, which is screwed or otherwise secured 1n an opening in a keg or two vertical grooves 3, cut in the wall surrounding the central opening and on opposite sides thereof, and two inclined grooves 4, cut in the surrounding wall ofthe opening in the bushing. The central opening through the bushing is divided into two portions, a comparatively large upper portion to receive the paratively small lower portion to receive a bung. Each of the inclined grooves 4 eX- tend nearly half-way around the interior of the bushing, being separated from each other at their ends by wall portions 5, and each of the vertical grooves 3 extends downward to and merges in the raised end of one of the inclined grooves. The bushing has an inwardly-extending annular projection 6 about midway of its center opening, which forms a horizontal shoulder or seat for a packing, as will be ymore particularly described farther below the shoulder to provide a seat for a stopper or bung, as shown at 62L in Figs. 2 and 3. The projection 6 serves both to prevent the exterior expulsion of the bung under interior pressure and to form a seat for the lower end of the tapping device. The tapping device is attached to and detached from the bushing by giving a slight turn to the entire tapping device, and the movement of the tapping device into connection with the bushing also tightens the packing and prevents leakage between the lower end of the tapping device and the bushing. By this means the attachment and detachment of the tapping device is accomplished by a single slight turn of the entire tapping device and does not require any additional mechanism to tighten the packing.

The tapping device is very simple in conber and an upper tubular member, which screws into the upper end of the main tubu lar member and compresses a ring of rubber or the like around the bung-driving tool to prevent spurting of liquid while tapping. The main tubular member consists of a body 7, having a central opening which is enlarged and screw-threaded at its upper end, as shown at 8, an intermediate transversely-extending interiorly-screw-threadedutubular portion 9,

barrel, has atop flange 2, a central opening, i,

lower end of a tapping device and a comf on, and said opening is reduced and tapered IOO struction and comprises a main tubular mem- IIO and a socketed lower end in the annular socket 10, of which a packing 11 is iitted. The inner and outer concentric annular walls of the socket 11 are not of the same length, as the inner annular wall is about twice as long and lits within the lower reduced portionoil the central opening when the tapping device is attached to the bung to center and support the same against lateral strain. (See Fig. 2.) A vent-tube 12 is screwed into the'portion 9 and has a serrated end for the convenient attachment of rubber tubing or the like. A flexible rubber valve 13 is litted on the inner end of the vent-tube. The lower end of the body 7 is provided with two oppositely-arranged lateral lugs 14, the sidesof which are inclined to correspond to the angle of inclination of the inclined grooves 4. The upper tubular member consists of a body 15, which screws into the upper end 8 of tlie opening in the main tubular body, and a pair of oppositely-extending. turning-handlesl. A ring 17 is loca'ted in the main tubular member between the shoulder 18 and the lower end of the upper tubularmember and is contracted y compression caused by the downward screwing of the upper tubular member to iit snugly around a bung-driving tool placed in the tapping device.

In this improvement the tapping device is very quickly attached to the bushing by inserting its lower end in the opening in the bushing and passing the lugs 14 through the vertical grooves 3 into the inclined grooves 4 and then giving the complete tapping device a slight turn, which slides the lugs along the inclined walls of the grooves 4 and draws and locks the tapping device to the bushing and at the same time forces the packing 11 againstthe top surface of the shoulder 6 of the bushing. The wall portions 5 constitute shoulders that limit the turning movement of the lugs 14 in the inclined grooves 4, and thereby prevent excessive compression of the packing at the lower end of the tapping device, which, combined with the spiral movement of the` tapping device, would tend to quickly wear or destroy the packing.

The advantages of this device reside in the very quick manner of attachment or detachment and the location of the packing at the lower end of' the tapping device and directly above the bung to prevent any escape of the 'contents into the space between the tapping device and the bushing while tapping.

It is to be noted that this tapping device is connected to and detached from the bushing by a slight turn and that this turn when in a direction necessary to connect the tapping device to the bushing also serves to tighten the packing in place suiiiciently to prevent leaking, thereby dispensing with any separate and additional tightening mechanism for the packing, and thereby materially simplifying and cheapening the construction, besides increasing the rapidity and convenience of the attachment or detachment.

I claim as my inventioni In a device ofthe class described, the combination with a bushing having a central opening divided into a comparatively large upper portion and a small lower portion, vertical grooves formed in the wall surrounding the upper portion of the central opening, inclined grooves also formed in said wall to which the lower ends of the vertical grooves extend; said inclined grooves extending nearly half-way around the interior of the bushing and being separated by vertical walls which constitute shoulders, and an intermediate inwardly-extending annular horizontal shoulder below said inclined grooves and at the junction of the upper and lower portions of the central opening, of a tapping device provided with opposite lateral lugs near its lower extremity, an annular socket at its lower end, the inner annular wall ofthe socket projecting below the outer annular wall, and an annularpacking in said socket, said tapping device being adapted to have its lower end inserted in the central opening in the bushing and the lateral lugs passed through the vertical grooves and turned slightly in the inclined grooves to force the annular packing in tight contact with the intermediate shoulder and the annular inner wall of the socket into the reduced lower portion of the central opening in the bushing to center and support the tapping device against lateral strain and also detachably lock the tapping device to the bushing; said lugs being positively limited in their turning movement by the shoulders at the ends of the inclined grooves to prevent excessive compression of the packing, substantially as set forth.

CONRAD HAMMER.

Witnesses:

L. M. SANGSTER, CHAs. J. PANKON.

lOO 

